Process for treating metals and alloys of metals.



A. M. CRAIG. PROCESS FOR TREATING METALS AND ALLOYS 0F METALS.

' APPLICATION HLED NOV. 2, 1916. 1,243,714.

Patented Oct. 23, L917.

3 SHEETSSHEET 1.

A. M. CRAIG.

' PROCESS FOR TREATING METALS AND ALLOYS 0F METALS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 21, I916,

Patented Oct. 23, 1917.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

A. M. CRAIG.

PROCESS FOR TREATING METALS AND ALLOYS 0F METALS. APPLICATION FILED NOV.21. 1915.

.1 ,243,714. Patented Oct. 23,1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- y awoewtoz $6 (Rte mm To all whom it may concern:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALVIN M. CRAIG, NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

PROCESS FOR TREATING METALS AND ALLOYS 0F METALS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 23, 1917.

Application filed November 21, 1918. Serial No. 132518.

By means of my process I am enabled to I produce efliciently, quicklyand directly at a minimum cost, a product partaking of all the qualitiesand characteristics of steel forgings. only superior in quality, but itis produced at a minimum cost because many of the steps of the processesheretofore used in the manufacture of steel products are not necessaryto the carrying out of my process.

My 'nvention consists in applying an unyielding but incremental pressureto a confined body of metal which during this treatment, is first in aliquid and then in a plastic state, the result of which is thedecremental' reduction of horizontal cross sectional area of that bodythroughout its entire length. This invention is, therefore, radicallyand essentially difl'erent from the old plunger method of compressingmetals either in a liquid or in a plastic state, which method resultsonly in decreasing the length of the confined body without in any waydecreasing its horizontal cross sectional area.

In the. performance of my process, the confined body of fluid andplastic steel is subjected ultimately by increments to a very highpressure throughout the length thereof, resulting in a product of greattoughness and tensile strength.

As a convenient means for carrying out my process I have provided asuitable apparatus illustrated in the accompanying drawings and coveredb application for Letters liatent of the Ifiiited States No. 132,517,filed November 21, 1916, in which similar reference characters indicatesimilar parts in the several views.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of an apparatus,

The product thus obtained is not suitable for carrying out my process,for compressing a rectangular ingot.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a modified form of apparatus for compressing aningot into the form of a hollow cylinder.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view showing a means for applying endwisepressure.

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation showing a means for supporting a core inthe space for confining the fluid and plastic metal.

Fig. 5 is a broken sectional elevation showing means for compressing themetal to be operated upon endwise around the core.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional elevation of a modified construction ofFig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a modified form of mold section used in the carrying out of myprocess upon masses of metal WlllCh are of relatively large crosssectional area and height.

In carrying out my process, I provide a sectional mold, the walls ofwhich are formed by means of a plurality of complementary verticalsections, each of said sections being so constructed and arranged withrespect to the other that either one or all of the vertical sections maybe caused to move with respect to the other so that the confined spacebetween the walls of the mold is reduced in horizontal cross sectionthroughout the entire length of the mold.

A mold of simple construction is shown, and it is preferably eitherrectangular or circular in shape and consists of twoparts. In therectangular mold one member comprising two walls is held in a rigidposition upon the flat base which forms the bottom 0 the mold. The othermember comprising the remaining walls is constructed so as to slide uponthe base and move freely upon and past the walls of the opposed member,so that the cross sectional area of the mold will be reduced when themovable member is moved upon the stationary member, but it will beunderstood of course that the two members may move with relation to eachother with the same effect.

Referring more particularly to the construction shown in Fig. 1, the twocomplementary members 13 and 14 forming the walls of a rectangular mold,rest on end upon a plate forming the mold bottom. The walls of eachmember are respectively seated at right angles to the contiguous wallsof the other member. When the member 14 is pushed toward the backing orabutment imam 17, it will slide freely upon the bottom plate, and thewalls of the member 14 will cured to the base to prevent thedisplacement of the mold and to resist the pressure from the-hydraulicjack when operated in the carrying out of my process.

As a means for applying pressure to the movable Walls of the mold, I mayprovide a hydraulic .jack 18 securely held to the base of the structure.The piston rod 19 0f the jack abuts with one wall of the vertlcalmovable member 14 so that great pressure can be applied to the movablewall of the mold and thereby to the confined metal operated upon. Thecylinder of the jack is preferably provided with a collar 20, be hindwhich is a flap valve 21, so that the water in the cylinder will forcethevalve against the collar and prevent leakage around the piston rod19. The valve shown is conventional simply, and any suitable valve canbe used for the-purpose. Water is admitted to the cylinder of the jackthrough the pipe 22. It will thus be seen that a regulated pressure canbe applied by means of the jack to the charge in the mold and it is tobe understood that this pressure can be made progressive or incrementalin its intensit the amount of pressure being controlled y the pump whichsupplies the jack in a manner well understood in this art.

It is obvious that the contour of the mold members may be changedindefinitely without modifying the generic invention, and to betterillustrate this I have shown in Fig. 2 the application of the method tothe casting of hollow cylinders, such as hollow projectiles or the like.In this view I have also shown a modified support for the apparatus,consisting of a base 23, having posts 24 erected thereon, which areconnected to each other by tie rods. The mold shown, however, hasopposed members 26 and 27 having inclined meeting parts 28 and 29 withabrupt meeting portions 31 and 32, 31 and 32, so that the mold memberscan slide freely together, and these members are compressed by a jack 18as already specified, until the portions 31 and'31, 32 and 32' abut uponeach other.

instead of the bracket 17, plates 17 are shown arranged behind the moldto resist the pressure of the hydraulic jack 18. A

core. 30 is suspended in the mold, and it will The side guides for themold members are not shown in this figure, and

chamber of the mold is not circular in cross section, but when thepressure. is applied, the charge is condensed until the mold assumesinternally a cylindrical shape, thus imparting the desired shape to thecharge and compressing it to the required amount.

Under certain conditions the lateral compression alone will be foundsufficient, while at other times both lateral and vertical compressionmay be found desirable according to the purpose for which the particularmass of metal under treatment is designed to be used. An advantage ofthe lateral pressure While the metal is fluid, and of having thepressure precede the vertical pressure, if the latter is used, is thatwhere the lateral pressure is applied while the metal is in a soft statethe gases are forced upward freely from the charge, whereas with moldsof the plunger type the gases are confined and tend to form smallbubbles in certain parts of the metal.

I have illustrated, therefore, in Fig. 3, a means of compressing thecharge vertically as well as laterally when a piston 34 is arranged inthe upper part of the mold between the members 13 and 14, which pistonis provided with a piston rod 35, which is operated by the hydraulic ack36, the latter being carried b a suitable support 37. Thus pressure maye applied vertically on the charge either after or during theapplication of the lateral pressure.

In Fig. 4 I have shown a convenient means for supporting the core 30. Ashere shown, a socket in the bottom of the core fits over the centeringpin 38 on the part- 12 which constitutes the mold bottom, and at the topof the core 30 is squared as shown at 39, and enters a socket 40connected with a screw 41 turned by means of the hand wheel 42, andmounted in a support 43. The core can be held firmly in the socket bythe bindmg screws 44. When the core is to be raised, it can be done byturning the wheel 42 and screw 41, or the core can be removed in anyother convenient manner.

In Fig. 5 is shown means for compressing the charge longitudinallyaround the core, this means comprising a ring 45 which enters the moldbetween the members 26 and 27, and a yoke 46 connects with the ring andstraddles the coreand its. adjusting mechanism, the yoke connecting withthe piston rod 47 of a suitable hydraulic jack.

In Fig. 6 I have shown means for suspending the core 30 so that themetal may flow beneath it, in which case the core is held as in Fig. 4already described, with the exception that the core is not provided withthe bottomconnection.

In Fig. 7 I show the movable side portion of the mold constructed ofsuperposed horizontal sections.

As a convenient means for facilitating the transportation and handlingof the compressed charge, I provide a portable base for the bottom ofthe mold, which preferably consists of the top 12 of a flat car, the carbeing mounted to run upon a track 11 supported upon a base frame 10, ofsufficient strength to support the work and the necessary mechanism forcarrying out my process.

In carrying out my method, I pour fluiderally as heretofore described,upon the entire surface of the mass, after the pouring.

operation has been completed, it is found desirable to first exert thepressure serially upon parts of the ascending column of metal as it isbeing poured, and then complete the operation by exerting equal lateral;pressures upon the whole column of the metal. For this purpose Iconstruct the movable side portion of the mold with superposedhorizontal sections, as illustrated in Fig. 7.

This mold it will be noticed has superposed sections 50, 51 and 52moving upon complementary parts 51 and 52, the whole mold being arrangedopposite a backing 17 and the members 50, 51 and 52, sliding upon thebase 12, and moved by pis: tons 19*. When in pouring the column of metalhas reached a distance slightly above the upper surface of the lowersection 50 of the mold, lateral pressure is applied to the said section,and at the same time the pouring of the metal is continued until itreaches a point just above the upper surface of the section 51. Thenlateral pressure is exerted upon the section 51 of the mold, and so onuntil the entire body oil metal is poured and compressed. Then while themetal .is still in a more or less plastic condi tion an unyieldingincremental lateral pressure of equal intensity is applied to the entiremass as hereinabove described to complete the reduction of the crosssectional area thereof. The advantage of this is especially that if alarge ingot is poured there is liability of the lower portion of theingot becoming chilled before the mold is filled and before pressure canbe applied, so that the compression afterward would not result in sohomogeneous and nice a product as where the serial pressure is appliedas described. In this latter case it will be seen that the pressure canbe applied as the mold is filled so that the char e under compression isall inv substantially the same condit1on.

The product resulting from my process is one which avoids the great lossresulting from the cutting off of the piping of the ingots when the oldprocesses are employed.

The illustrations serve merely to show a means for carrying out myimproved method, but it is to be understood thatthis method is notdependent on the particular form of apparatus described. It is clearthat the means shown and described permit the compression of the chargeto any necessary or desired extent, and also the easy handling of themold charge. I prefer to utilize hydraulic jacks as pressing meansasthey are the most convenient means for obtaining a powerful,unyielding and incremental pressure.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. The step in the process of treating metals which. consists insubjecting a charge of fluid metal to external incremental andunyielding lateral pressures, thereby decrementally reducing the crosssectional area thereof.

2. The step in the process of treating metals which consists in applyingan external incremental pressure to a confined charge of fluid metal toincrease its length and to decrementally reduce its cross sectionalarea.

3. The process of treating metals which consists inpouring a charge offluid metal into a confined space, and applying incremental pressures tothe sides of the charge before its outer parts are chilled or set todecrementally reducethe cross sectional area thereof.

4. The process of treating metals which consists in pouring a charge offluid metal into a confined space, applying pressure to the sides of thecharge while still in its fluid state thereby decrementally reducing thecross sectional area. of the charge, then when the charge is in aplastic state, applying incremental pressure to decrementally reduce itscross sectionalarea.

5. The process of treating metals which consists in applying anincremental pressure laterally and externally to a confined body offluid metal, to reduce the cross sectional area of the confined bod andapplyingpressure vertically to that ody.

6. The process of treating metals which consists in pouring a charge offluid metal into a cavity bounded by sectional walls, and applyingincremental pressure to the walls while the charge is plastic to causethem to slide one upon the other to decrementally reduce the crosssectional area of the conconsists in subjecting a charge of metal whilein a plastic condition to substantially unyielding and incrementalexternal pressures to decrementally reduce the cross sectional area ofthe charge.

8. The process of treating metals which consists in subjecting a pouredcharge of metal While in its plastic state to unyielding lateralpressure, thereby expelling the gases from the charge, then increasingsaid pressure in a ratio approximating the decreasing plasticity of thecharge to reduce the cross sectional area of the charge.

9. The process of treating metals which consists in subjecting .a pouredcharge of metal while in its plastic state to unyielding pressure, thenincreasing said pressure in a ratio approximating'the decreasingplasticity of the charge, to reduce the cross sectional area of thecharge.

10. The process of treating metals which consists in applying pressuresserially to ascending sections of the poured column of fluid metal, thenwhile the metal is still in a plastic state, applying an unyielding,incremental lateral pressure of equal intensity to the entire mass tocomplete the decremental reduction of the cross sectional area. thereof.

11. The process of treating metals which consists in applying pressuresserially to ascending sections of t e poured column of fluid metal.

assay/1e 12. The process of treating metals which consists in applyingpressures serially to ascending sections of a poured column of fluidmetal, the pressures being serially applied in the same ratio as thecharge is poured, whereby the charge at the initial pressure is alwaysof substantially the same plasticity.

13. The process of treating metals which consists in applying lateralpressures serially to ascending sections of the poured column of fluidmetal.

14. The process of treating metals which consists in applying lateralpressures serially to ascending sections of a poured column of fluidmetal, the pressures being serially applied in the same ratio as thecharge is poured, whereby the charge at the initial pressure is alwaysof substantially the same plasticity.

15. The process of treating metals which consists in subjecting a chargeof metal while soft to incremental lateral pressure, therebydecrementally reducing the cross sectional area thereof throughout itslength, the said pressure being limited only by the resistance of thecharge.

ALVIN M. CRAIG. Witnesses:

WARREN B. HUToHINsoN, M. G. UDONNELL.

